mortisers

[Steve]

After making a batch of windows - cutting 48 mortises with a plunge router, I am seriously shopping for a mortiser. Future projects include 7 exterior doors and maybe 12 more windows... I can get a brand new Grizzly hollow chisel for about $1500, or for the same price, ($1000 + $500 freight from Michigan) a Powermatic chain mortiser.

Any thoughts? Chain Mortiser vs. Hollow Chisel? Old Powermatic vs. New Grizzly? The Powermatic is from a private party, and I will need to arrange freight. This scenario is new to me.

[Jon B]

I've been looking at mortisers myself lately and I think I came across the same powermatic on OWWM. I did a bit of searching on the powermatic and at least one person mentioned that it doesn't have any sort of depth stop... not sure if that's true or not but something to think about.

I've been looking at one of the general mortisers with a tilting head. I've also been intrigued by richline mortisers. In the end it seems to me that there's a lot lacking in the quality of mortisers on the market today, none of them really stand out to me as highly precise machines or maybe I'm just missing something.

[Chris Hall]

The newer Powermatic, which I have, the 719?, is okay, but not great. The table tilts, but only one direction, which is a bit limiting. For the money, I'd look at the General international, which tilts both directions. I used to have the General, and it was decent, not worse quality-wise than the Powermatic. They're both made in the same place -if not the same factory.

If I were to buy a mortiser to upgrade from the Powermatic, I'd be looking at a Tokiwa with hydraulic plunge I think. Japan is the only place I know of where a good quality new hollow chisel mortiser can be obtained, though the Italians also have those Centauro machines which are supposed to be pretty good from what I've heard.

If you are doing lots of doors and windows though, where the mortises are not just for pegs, the Maka oscillating chisel might make more sense, like an STV-71 or maybe the SM-7P. Very clean square-cornered mortises, produced very quickly. Tooling is not cheap however.

If you're looking at older iron, then maybe a Wadkin. They had a DV model with vibrating chisel head which sounds like it might be good. I have no direct experience however. Another one to consider would be the General (Canada) hollow chisel mortiser. There's been one for sale in CT for months and months, in excellent condition.

There really is no ideal one-machine mortising solution I'm afraid. There is an ideal application for each type of machine.

[crannygoat]

I find the larger festool domino machine to be an excellent and adaptable mortising machine. I prefer to cut solid tenons and square up the corners of the mortise, rather than use the domino floating tenon. Max cutting depth is 70 mm, or about 2 3/4". Overlapping cuts can be done.

[Steve]

The Powermatic is a no. 15 chain mortiser, no longer made I think. I am leaning towards this machine. I could get either a new Festool or Grizzly hollow chisel mortiser, but I like heavy old tools...

I found it on from a private party in Michigan, so I will have to arrange freight and payment. I am also going out on a limb i know, buying unseen, but from talking with the seller he seems very legitimate.

Any advice about payment terms?

[Chris Hall]

If you like old arn, there's this machine just on the market:

http://www.woodweb.com/exchanges/machin ... 87040.html